Opening Day: SIFF 24th April 06, 1 screening at 1900hrs, National Museum
Commercial Release - TBA

Synopsis:

Shot in intense close-ups, the film chronicles two weeks of love and lust that climaxes in painful irony. Flawless acting and dialogue portray a brutal study of intimacy and ultimately asks the question: on what basis can men and women, natural antagonists, expect to sustain love?

Movie Review:

There are movies which are just sheer entertainment, and there are those which, after the end credits roll and the lights come on, have such a resonance within yourself, that you just have to reach out and discuss it with somebody. Singapore director Kan Lume's award winning debut feature length film, The Art of Flirting, is one such movie. One that doesn't border on mass commercialism or being too art-house, but having that right X-factor element in being truly
memorable.

The title teases you with a suggestion that the clueless and dateless could employ some of the tips and tricks seen in the movie. No, not explicitly like what Hitch does, but it's done very subtly. Observe the body language, listen in to the conversations. Study the back-channel communication employed by the characters in the movie, as this will prove to be rewarding as the movie progresses, especially by the time the finale rolls in.

Lynn (played by WKRZ Radio's Marilyn Lee) is the typical beautiful girl. Past relationships which
failed could probably have contributed to her walled up defences to her heart, that always wary feeling. Leo (played by Leonard Yeo) is the typical cool dude, a success story of a national
sports-turned-businessman. By virtue of work, Lynn meets Leo with the latter being her interviewee for a magazine, and before you know it, the sexual tension between the two gets charged through conscious, or subconscious, flirting. Let the games begin!

Having only two lead roles in a movie so anchored in dialogue, is a challenge that The Art of Flirting pulls off so brilliantly. Not for a minute when the characters interact will you feel bored. The reason is simple - that what they talk about and do, are what people who have experienced relationships would have talked about and done. The raking up of courage to set a date, the expressions of deep thoughts, the finding of opportunity for physical touch. You follow the
narrative, have expectations set up, and those expectations will get challenged. It will evoke an
emotional response from within you, as the movie involves you at a voyeuristic level that most of us are prone to, when hearing about, or witnessing a couple in love. Always wanting to find out the hows, and always wanting to find out the whys.

Both Marilyn and Leonard were convincing in their roles. And being a dialogue-driven movie, it hinged a fair bit on the quality of the voices, that it doesn't irritate. And of course it naturally helped given that Marilyn's a professional radio jockey, and Leonard having a voice that compliments hers. Their chemistry is amazing, and their moments together comes across so
naturally, you'd think that you're actually watching the two fall for each other.

Packed into a compact 80 minutes, The Art of Flirting qualifies to be a gem in the local movie scene, not only because it dared to be different (the thought that someone here would actually make a "talky" movie), but more importantly, it's the accessibility that you can identify with on such a personal, intimate level that no other local film has yet to achieve.

Movie Rating:

(Superbly engaging right up to its final scene, The Art of Flirting will call for an emotional response from you!)

Review by Stefan Shih

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THINGS TO DO:

Click here to learn more about the trailblazing creative force behind the movie, director Kan Lume. Read about his ideas, thoughts and insights!

The Art of Flirting will be screened at the 19th Singapore International Film Festival on Monday 24th April 06 1900hrs at the National Museum Gallery Theatre (The National Museum will only officially open its doors in December, so this movie gets the honour of being its first screening).
Tickets are available now through Ticketcharge

Want to join our forum members in attending The Art of Flirting's SIFF Screening together? Click here to signal your interest.